Success is whatever you make of it; but after spinal cord injury, priorities change. Beyond rehab and getting into a groove with lifestyle changes, many people find a new outlook – and a new way to thrive.
Define what Success Means
What does success mean to you? Does it mean financial independence or growing your own business? Does it mean achieving a lifelong goal – like swimming with sharks or releasing a record? Could it be finding new physical strength, raising a family or learning a new language?
One person’s version of success is never the same as another’s, because success is varied as people are. Goals can change for someone from day to day, especially when someone’s prioritising their mental health during a low point. On a bad day, achieving something as minor as basic self-care can be a roaring success, and the start of a chain of positive events.
After spinal cord injury, all definitions of success could change – but many pre-injury goals can absolutely still be achieved in life after injury; starting a business, learning a language and finding a creative outlet are all achieved with your brain.
Spinal cord injury compensation can help you obtain the tools to achieve your goals post-injury – but breaking perceptions and getting past the gate can be tough. Still, even with significant barriers beyond the immediately obvious ones, countless people with spinal cord injuries have gone on to fulfill their greatest ambitions – and even exceed them.
People Who Found Success After SCI
People with spinal cord injuries find success every single day; but some of us have made a huge impact on society and the lives of others. Here are just a few of the most famous examples of success after SCI.
Sophie Morgan
Sophie was injured at T6 level in a car crash when she was 18 years old. She is now a disability rights campaigner and television presenter. She led Channel 4’s TV coverage of the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Christopher Reeve
The original Superman actor was injured in a horse riding accident in 1995. He went on to establish the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, one of the world’s most prominent bodies for raising awareness and funding for SCI research and rehabilitation.
Henry Fraser
Henry Fraser damaged his spinal cord at the C4 level in 2009, when he was 17 years old. Since his injury, he’s become an acclaimed public speaker, a prolific painter and a bestselling author.
Claire Lomas
After a horse riding accident in 2007, Claire sustained a spinal cord injury at T4. She has since completed the London Marathon using a powered exoskeleton, hand cycled 400 miles from Nottingham to London and has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for charity.
Behind all of these success stories is an even bigger one; all of these people have realised their value and potential beyond their disability. Success comes in many different forms – and sometimes, the simplest achievements or the ones that we would normally take for granted can be the most fulfilling.
Returning to Education
Young people are often injured through sports or car accidents, at an age where many will be thinking about going to college or university – but regardless of age, returning to education has become one of the most common and rewarding avenues to success after injury. It expands your horizons hugely and offers a world of different possibilities. It can become the launchpad for your success and sow the seeds of your great calling in life. Education can be one of the most fulfilling experiences you’ll ever have.
Finding an accessible university can be a challenge, though – especially if there’s a particular course you’re aiming for – but if the pandemic of 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that remote working and education are viable, widespread and now matured options.
That said, a huge part of the university experience is actually being there; making friends, living away from home, making your first move out into the world. That experience should be open to everyone, and hopefully the COVID-19 vaccines rolling out will open the world up a little wider than before.
Start a New Journey
Raquel Siganporia is a Senior Solicitor and Director of Business Development at Aspire Law – the only law firm dedicated to helping people with spinal cord injuries. Not only do we support people through spinal cord injury compensation claims, but we work tirelessly to get the best possible outcomes for people with SCIs – regardless of whether they have a claim.
Contact Raquel free of charge and in confidence on 0800 030 20 40 or at Raquel.Siganporia@aspirelaw.co.uk.
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